Apparatus for driving well points



y 9, 1961 c. K. WHITNEY 2,983,323

APPARATUS FOR DRIVING WELL POINTS Filed April 6, 1959 FIE. l

FILE.

/ I rm f// 1 \L" k f 3 32 26 I j 2 I 8 l0 I 4 4 F1234 42 4 s 4 4/ 4 E 32 4 37 38 40 39 Imam/r04: I CLARENCE WHITNEY By I I I 33 3a 36 United States Patent The present invention relates toimprovements in apparatus for driving a pointed tube or the like'into the ground when the apparatus is mounted on and; supported by the upperhendfof the tube, For. a consideration of what I consider to benovel and my'invention attention is directed to the following specification and thelc'oneluding claim thereof.

? Inthe accompanying drawings wherein the preferredform of the inventionis shown, Fig. 1 is a sideflelevation of" the improved apparatuswith certain portions broken away for illustrative purposes- Fig. 2 is avertioal section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with'cer tain parts already shown in Fig. 1 omitted. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionon line 33 in Fig. 2 with" certain parts already shown in..Fig. l omitted. Fig. 4 is fragmentary view. of a modified form of recoil means.

The frame or mounting structure of the apparatus is generally indicated at and comprises a pair of side walls or cheek plates 11 and a back wall 12 which interconnects the side walls 11. A shelf 13 extends laterally from the back wall 12 to form a support for a prime mover 14 which may be a gasoline engine or an electric motor. Mounted on brackets at the front side of the frame 10 are an upper shaft 15 and a lower shaft 16. A belt 17 leads from a pulley 18 on the motorld to a relatively large diameter pulley 19 on the upper shaft to drive the latter; and a belt 20 leads from a relatively small diameter pulley 21 on the upper shaft 15 to a relatively large diameter pulley 22 on the lower shaft 16 to drive the latter, the direction of rotation of the lower shaft being counter-clockwise as indicated by the arrow on the pulley 22. A cam 23 is aflixed to the lower shaft 16 for a purpose presently appearing.

Removably confined between the cheek plates 11 and the back wall 12 of the frame 10 (as by set screws 24) is a plate 25 which is apertured to form a guideway for a tubular hammer member 26 whose upper end extends through said aperture and whose striking head is indicated at 27 in Fig. 2.

Surrounding the hammer member 26 between the underside of the plate 25 and a circumferential ledge 28 on the lower part of said hammer member is a strong coil spring 29 adapted to be compressed between said plate and ledge when said hammer member is moved upwardly by means comprising the cam 23 on the lower drive shaft 16. Slidably positioned within the tubular portion of the hammer member 26 and extending downward-1y therefrom is a stem 30 whose upper end 31 serves as an anvil to receive blows from the striking head 27 of said hammer member. Said stem is shown as tubular below its upper end 31 primarily because a solid stem would be unnecessarily heavy. The lower portion of said stem 30 extends through an apertured horizontal plate 32 fixedly secured to the lower end of said mounting frame or structure 10; and said stem below said plate 32 has a circumferential flange or ledge 33 which normally abuts the underside of said plate 32 to limit upward movement of said stem.

g in (IC The 'pip'e' to bedriven into the ground is indicatedat 35. The lower end of the anvil member or stem 30 is exteriorlythreaded to receive a coupling'36 for interconnecting theanvil member and said pipe without darn aging the thread on the pipe.

The ledge 33 at the lower portion of the anvil member or 'stem 30 is yield-ably maintained in abutting relation'with the underside of the horizontalplate 32' by a tensioned means generally indicated at 37 in Fig. 2, said means'being so interconnected with the mounting struc-' ture 10 and with the lower end of said stem 30 as to permit said structure 10 to recoil upwardly when the upper end 31 of said stem 30 is struck a blow by the striking head 27 of said ham-mermember 26.-

The tensioned means 37 shown in Fig. 2 comprises a cross bar 38 fixedly secured to the lower, end of the anvil member 30. A link 39 extends upwardly each end of the crossbar and-extends through'a bracket 40'affixe'd to the adjacentside wall of the frame'10; A'

coil spring 41 surrounds the linkand rests on the bracket 40.- The spring is compressed between said anvil member 30 against the underside of the adjacent plate 32 but-will permit the frame 10 to recoil follow ing' a blow by the hammer member 26 on the anvil member 301 As sh own in 4, the spring system for yieldab ly maintaining the ledge 33 of the stem 30 in abutting relation with the underside-of the plate 32 may comprise springs 50 of the retracting type, there being two springs one at either side of the frame 10 and each having a loop at its upper end adapted to be hooked to a bracket 51 extending from the cheek plate 11 of the frame 10 and each at its lower end being hooked to the adjacent end of the cross bar 38.

The means for moving the hammer member 26 upwardly whereby to compress the coil spring 29 which surrounds said member comprises the cam 23 on the power driven shaft 16 and also comprises an arm 44 affixed to the hammer member 26 to extend toward the drive shaft 16 so that as the cam turns in a counterclockwise direction the leading face 45 of the cam will wipe a'roller 46 at the end of the arm 44 to move the arm upwardly and thus elevate the hammer member 26 with resultant compression of the spring 29. When the leading face of the cam passes out of contact with said roller 46 the coil spring 29 will immediately propel the hammer member 26 downwardly to strike a blow on the upper end 31 of the anvil member 30 as will now be readily understood.

The striking head 27 of the hammer member 26 is shown as positioned some distance below the upper terminal end of said member to provide a receptacle 48 into which molten lead may be poured and allowed to solidify to increase the weight of said member. The top of the receptacle may be closed by a cover 47 secured in place by any preferred means.

To permit air to escape from between the hammer head 27 and the anvil face 31, one or more holes 49 in the side wall of the hammer member may be provided at a level adjacent to the underside of the hammer head. However, the fit between the hammer and anvil member is normally so loose that even without the holes 49 compression of air between the anvil face and the hammer head presents no escape problem.

Turning of the hammer member 26 is prevented by a radial projection which extends through a vertical guideslot in the back wall 12 of the frame 10.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that by removing the apertured plate 25 at the top of the v 3 frame the coil spring 29 may be readily replaced by another one if necessity so requires. And by releasing the recoil mechanism 37 (or 50), the anvil member 30 can be readily removed from the frame 10 when it is convenient to do so as, for example, when the pipe35 ands'aid anvil member are to be interconnected; by-the coupling 36. As shown in the drawing, the anvil member 30 is preferably tubular to reduce its weight to a minimum for ease in handling. Since. a heavy hammer will produce a more effective blow than a light one the weight of the hammer member 26 may be increased by placing a heavy material like lead in the receptacle 48 at the upper end of said hammervmember. From the foregoing description it is believed to be apparent that the apparatus herein disclosed is particularly well adapted for its intended purpose.

What is claimed as new is: a

In apparatus for driving well points, the combination of an elongated stem which is vertically disposed in use and which at its lower end is adapted for connection with apipe to be driven, said stem above its lower end having an outwardly extending ledge, a vertically reciprocable hammer for imparting blows to the upper end of said stem, said hammer having below its striking face a downwardly extending guide sleeve telescoped over the upper portion of said stem whereby the hammer and stem are maintained in axial alinement with each other, a lower plate at a point between the ledge on said stem and the lower end of said guide sleeve, said lower plate having an aperture through which said stern extends upwardly into the aforesaid guide sleeve, said lower plate being normally supported on said ledge on said stem, the length of said stem above said lower plate being longer than said guide sleeve whereby there is provided therefrom,

a clearance space between the lower end of said guide sleeve and said lower plate, an upright frame to the lower end of which said lower plate is fixedly secured, an upper plate fixedly secured to the upper end of said frame and having an aperture wherein the upper end of the hammer is axially movable, a bracket secured to the lower end of the guide sleeve and projecting laterally outwardly an exterior circumferential ledge on said guide sleeve next above said bracket, a compression spring seated on the ledge on said guide sleeve and extending upwardly therefrom into abutting engagement with the underside of the aforesaid upper plate, said spring encircling said guide sleeve, and a trip cam mounted on said frame and coacting with the outer end of said bracket for simultaneously elevating said hammer relative to said stem and compressing said spring whereby the latter is made readyto impel the hammer downwardly to impart a blow to the upper end of said stem as aforesaid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 533,118 Crouch Jan. 29, 1895 544,746 Ober Aug. 20, 1895 1,275,742 Pnitchard Aug. 13, 1918 1,778,547 Brown Oct. 14, 1930 1,953,825 Finley Apr. 3, 1934 2,055,001 Blomquist Sept. 22, 1936 2,252,017 McCrery Aug. 12, 1941 2,487,530 Dirksen Nov. 8, 1949. 2,593,186 Richardson Apr. 15, 1952 2,703,479 Richardson Mar. 8, 1955 2,825,207 Cullum Mar. 4, 1958 2,927,773 'WiIke Mar. 8, 1960 

